Centre, state should share Old HC building repair cost: HC

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high Court on Monday asked the central and the Maharashtra govts to consider sharing equally the cost of repairing and restoring the Old High Court building in Nagpur, after the state public works department (PWD) agreed to take up the work.Hearing a suo motu PIL on the deteriorating condition of the heritage structure, a bench led by chief justice Shree Chandrashekhar and justice Anil Kilor sought the state's response.At the previous hearing, the bench had directed the PWD and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to hold a joint meeting and place the minutes on record. As the structure is protected, the ASI told the court that the work must be carried out in accordance with its rules and under its supervision. The court accepted the condition.On the the question of funding, counsel for the state was asked to consult the secretaries concerned and place instructions before the court.The issue will now be considered at the next hearing. Ashutosh Dharmadhikari appeared as amicus curiae, Mugdha Chandurkar represented the Centre, and Deepak Thakre appeared for the state government.